San Francisco Bay area, 3.57kwh/6k, Is this a good deal or being taken for a ride ?

[sparkle]

W/out knowing your zip/orientation, that performance warranty seems low enough as to be about useless. Basically, it's so low, that you'll trip over if not careful.

do panel degradation depends on zip code/orientation ? even if they do, manufacturer (Trina) has a linear performance warranty.
sorry, didn't understand the your comment about performance warranty being low and tripping part.

[donald]

I didn't read the contract carefully, but what is the buyout after 5 years? It seemed to say to call the company?

[J.P.M.]

do panel degradation depends on zip code/orientation ? even if they do, manufacturer (Trina) has a linear performance warranty.
sorry, didn't understand the your comment about performance warranty being low and tripping part.

Annual average performance is a function of, among many things, geographical location, array orientation, shading and a bunch of other stuff. It seems in the Bay area, a decently oriented array free of major shading can generate something like 1,500 to 1,600 kWh/yr. per installed (nameplate) kW. The "guarantee" on the Sunrun contract is about 1,500 kWh/yr. per installed kW. Second. I believe the Trina annual degradation in about 0.7%/yr., not 1%.

If you have a decent orientation and not much shading, the likelihood of falling below 5,405 kWh/yr. is, IMO, and may be quite small. Hence the low bar. The 1% degradation in the contract makes it even lower.

Performance warranties are mostly marketing tools, and usually pretty much useless beyond that.

Still, at the claimed price, it may be a deal, even if it does sound too good to be true. Terrible to pay too much. Worse to pay too little. Not my house/money/life. NOMB. Good luck. Caveat Emptor.

[sparkle]

I didn't read the contract carefully, but what is the buyout after 5 years? It seemed to say to call the company?

it would be FMV.

[prhamilton]

In order for SunRun to get accelerated depreciation tax benefit it needs to be a true equipment lease which means you can't negotiate the purchase price into the lease, it has to be FMV. I think pre-paid leases are great the federal government gives additional incentive. I read paper criticizing the all the forms different forms of solar incentives(fed credit, state credits, depreciation, property tax exclusions, sales tax exclusions...) that the incentives add up to more then the value of the panels.

The accelerated depreciation is worth about 20% of the lease amount spread over 7 years. Often you don't see the lease companies share that much of the tax benefit. Its a great price and SunRun is good company, I would go for it. Once they tell you who is installing the system I would research that before you let them on you roof. My guess is that price moves up after they do a site survey, there is no room at that price installation surprises but even at $7,000 its a good deal.

Let us know how it goes...

[ZybdZY]

it would be FMV.

Any further updates on this ? Is the installation done ?

[sparkle]

Any further updates on this ? Is the installation done ?

they are little slow. just got design of my system.